My grandaughter wants a Jonas Brothers and Hanna Montana CD along with an MP3 player for Christmas. I've been looking at mp3 players and the Ipods are substantially more then the other players. What I don't know and would like to know is if the ipod is worth the extra money? Can anyone help?

I've never used anything but iPod and iPhone so I can't compare. Two things about Apple products are the price and the reputation of being good products.
My iPod is over three years old and has worked flawlessly other than a few reboots like any other computer, and the iPhone is my new best friend. Apple makes Nano, and other smaller MP3 players that don't cost an arm and a leg and will hold 1000 songs.

It really is a matter of choice. I'm an iPod user. I also use a Mac computer. It's only natural for me. I can say this. I have had both my Ipod Classic 80 gig, and my MacBook computer for two years now. I use my Ipod for about two hours a day. No Problems! I use my MacBook for about four hours a day. No problems! Thats a good track record considering that I use my Ipod in my car and also in an auto repair shop. My Ipod gets bumped around quite a bit.
I also like iTunes and GarageBand.

When you buy apple you are buying the interface and name. I got an 8gb mp3 for 70$ whereas its apple counterpart was $150.

The price is a major consideration when buying an ipod or an mp3 player. Anything Apple is not cheap! You do seem to get what you pay for. I am a serious user of my iPod. The benefits overruled the price difference in my case. If your granddaughter is a casual user, a lower priced mp3 player may be sufficient.
Some of the new Apple models shoot video. Would she be interested in this feature?
Which models of players are you considering? http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/ Here is a link to the nano with video.

You are buying Apple hardware, Apple software, and Apples name for sure. But it is a good name or great name and as I said famous for price. The call center and Apple stores are great for customer service.

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Less than 300 days until retirement.
Gretsch Renown

Not to mention the iTunes library is extensive. I have no experience with any other brands, but the depth of music available for download via iTunes is staggering. I'm still a traditionalist at heart and prefer to buy the cd (god I miss record sleeves!), but have downloaded plenty from itunes library that I haven't been able to find a physical copy of. Worth the extra coin for this alone IMHO.

There was a time when I had both iTunes and Microsoft music software loaded on a PC at the same time. These two programs were constantly fighting against each other. When I got my Mac, I began to only use iTunes. My life got simpler!

I hate Ipods. Apple is Evil. You'll find, if you buy an Ipod, that you'll need to use Apples music software, buy Apple peripherals, and buy music and apps for it. There's no practical reason to use an Ipod over any other MP3 player.

That being said, there is a reason to have one. If your Granddaughter has a non-Ipod MP3 player, she will likely be considered quite uncool by her peers.

If you still wish to proceed with another brand, I'd recommend one of these. I got a version of this way back in 2005, and still get complements about it. It is also super-easy to operate. No bogus software or music format requirements: It acts like a mass storage device. Just load on the songs, and it supports at least 5 major audio codecs.

I hate Ipods. Apple is Evil. You'll find, if you buy an Ipod, that you'll need to use Apples music software, buy Apple peripherals, and buy music and apps for it. There's no practical reason to use an Ipod over any other MP3 player.

That being said, there is a reason to have one. If your Granddaughter has a non-Ipod MP3 player, she will likely be considered quite uncool by her peers.

If you still wish to proceed with another brand, I'd recommend one of these. I got a version of this way back in 2005, and still get complements about it. It is also super-easy to operate. No bogus software or music format requirements: It acts like a mass storage device. Just load on the songs, and it supports at least 5 major audio codecs.

Good luck!

itunes readily accepts any media that I load into it. I loaded my entire cd collection into iTunes as well as videos and wav files. I loaded the entire contents from a Microsoft zune mp3 player into iTunes. I can also convert any iTunes files to mp3 format if I want to.
When was the last time that you used iTunes? It has changed a lot.

I hate Ipods. Apple is Evil. You'll find, if you buy an Ipod, that you'll need to use Apples music software, buy Apple peripherals, and buy music and apps for it. There's no practical reason to use an Ipod over any other MP3 player.

Humbug.

yes, you need to use the itunes program to interface with the ipod, but the program is free.

I don't use itunes to buy music. I buy my music from Amazon, and other places, and it all loads to my ipod just fine.

I can use protools to mix down a song and pop it right on my ipod. No extra apple stuff needed.

As for price, that stuff changes constantly. A year ago, I saw 8gig ipod nano's for under $100. But new players and upgrades come out all the time, so you really have to make sure you're comparing the same thing when looking at an ipod vs other brand.

I admit, I spent weeks going over all my available options at the time. I went ipod, mostly because the particular version I bought had flash memory, rather than a hard drive, which is more stable. Granted the trade off is less memory space, but I've never even come close to filling it up the 16 gigs it came with.

I hate Ipods. Apple is Evil. You'll find, if you buy an Ipod, that you'll need to use Apples music software, buy Apple peripherals, and buy music and apps for it. There's no practical reason to use an Ipod over any other MP3 player.

Sorry - as others have pointed out - simply not true, except the need to use iTunes - NOT the iTunes Music Store - which is free and cross-platform.

I have more than one iPod - with nearly 80gigs of high fidelity zero loss music files on one of them. And maybe only a half a dozen tunes from the iTunes Music Store. Though just because I have little use for the iTunes Music Store doesn't mean that others don't - quite a huge collection of (now) pretty decent quality files.

I use Amazons MP3 downloader to download music to iTunes which anyone can do on a PC, and I also have taken CD's that I own and downloaded them to my iPod thru iTunes library so that I can use them on my iPod to play along. I'm not sure why Apple has such a negative stigma attached to it but I'm guessing like most other things it out of misguided rumor and ignorance of the products.

To the original poster my advice would be, like anything else, decide what you wish to spend and go from there. As for buying something other than iPod and having your daughter shunned by her peers, bunk. Genericdrummingusername must have great friends. Have fun shopping.

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Less than 300 days until retirement.
Gretsch Renown

I really appreciate everyones input. She's 7, so I'm not so sure "the cool" factor matters at her age, but the reliabilty factor imo is worth the consideration. I will probably go for the Ipod because of all the peripheral stuff that's available for them like the clock radio. I've had a couple of mp3 players, but they have never lasted long, and with the cheap ones I've had, the batteries were not replacable.

I never knew there was an Ipod Store. I appreciate that information, or better yet, she will. Thanks again everyone.

You people are freakin' droids. Besides the practical pains of using an Ipod, it's how everyone loves the Ipod, how U can't touch the Ipod that gets my blood a'boilin'.

Sure, you don't need to buy apple peripherals (Excluding headphones. Duh.) , if you like bare-bones devices. My brother just bought an Ipod, and I can insure you that my non-Ipod is less of a hassle to use.

Quote:

Really? I think the chances of that happening are low, coming from a teenager.

How old is your granddaughter?

Let me ask you this: Do you own an Ipod, or a different MP3 player? I just happen to be a teenager as well, and morning busses are veritable seas of Ipods. Coincidence? Say yes, I dare you.

You people are freakin' droids. Besides the practical pains of using an Ipod, it's how everyone loves the Ipod, how U can't touch the Ipod that gets my blood a'boilin'.

Sure, you don't need to buy apple peripherals (Excluding headphones. Duh.) , if you like bare-bones devices. My brother just bought an Ipod, and I can insure you that my non-Ipod is less of a hassle to use.

Let me ask you this: Do you own an Ipod, or a different MP3 player? I just happen to be a teenager as well, and morning busses are veritable seas of Ipods. Coincidence? Say yes, I dare you.

Sorry guys, Ipods and their aura really piss me of.

Freakin' Droid. Wow. Maybe the busses are a veritable sea of iPods because those people like them over other makes, and maybe because they are dependable and to them easy to use. How difficult is it to turn a dial and push a button. Maybe for you there are too many moving parts. As it is said on a Geico Insurance Commercial, It's so easy a cave man can do it. Sounds like a bit of jealousy to me. But anyway the purpose of the thread was to help the original poster with info and not a personal rip of a product. If you find yours easier to use, Great. But that doesn't make the rest of us Apple users, Freakin' Droids.

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Less than 300 days until retirement.
Gretsch Renown

Ah yes......I remember being 'non-conformist' as a teenager too........I also remember making many sweeping statements that, upon reflection, seem rather foolish now!

If you don't like 'em....fine. I'm not here to try and change your mind. BUT, any other alternatives if I wanted more than 1gig out of my mp3? I've got 500 odd albums on my ipod and it's only half full. Can't do that with a single gig.

All of the mp3 devices work well! To each their own. I didn't buy Apple products because I thought that they were the coolest. I bought them because I liked them for what they are.
I also bought them because they had a store that I could go to that had great associates working in it that would help me. I didn't know anything about computers and iPods when I first visited the Apple Store. The folks there taught me how to use the products. I attended seminars there. Apple put the whole deal together with great products and one on one support. That is what you are paying for when you buy Apple. You are buying into an organization that is dedicated to servicing your every need when it comes to using their products. You don't just buy an Apple product and call an 800 number for support.
I don't mind paying more for that. That is my feeling.
I don't look at other mp3 and computer users as owners of inferior devices. I don't understand why anyone would look at Apple users as "Droids"
Like I said up top "To each their own"
I didn't see anyone in this thread saying that iPods were the best. I saw people giving unbiased advice to the OP.

Freakin' Droid. Wow. Maybe the busses are a veritable sea of iPods because those people like them over other makes, and maybe because they are dependable and to them easy to use.

Yeah! maybe teenagers aren't really concerned about coolness at all!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRUNTERSDAD

How difficult is it to turn a dial and push a button. Maybe for you there are too many moving parts.

If you were reading, direct user Interface of the device itself wasn't what I was talking about. Apple, I'll admit, is great with that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRUNTERSDAD

Sounds like a bit of jealousy to me.

Oh yeah, I'm real jealous. Does that please you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRUNTERSDAD

But that doesn't make the rest of us Apple users, Freakin' Droids.

;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

Ah yes......I remember being 'non-conformist' as a teenager too........I also remember making many sweeping statements that, upon reflection, seem rather foolish now!

If you don't like 'em....fine. I'm not here to try and change your mind. BUT, any other alternatives if I wanted more than 1gig out of my mp3? I've got 500 odd albums on my ipod and it's only half full. Can't do that with a single gig.

Ah, I thank you for your rational, non-douchey comment that wasn't conceived in order to increase post count. And folks wonder why Mac people get under my skin.

That brand of MP3 player produces devices with more memory, but that's the only one carried by Walmart.com. I posted that link for simplicity to the OP.

You seem to have some personality issues. You are worried about how people conceive you with a particular brand of MP3 player. You are concerned about someone elses post count. Mac people get under your skin because they justify their purchase of Mac products. Anything else? Or should we stick to the topic.? You have turned the thread into a teenage angst issue and a brand battle when all the original poster wanted was a few opinions on products. I will guarantee you that at 61 years old I could give a crap as to what people think about the brands I buy. And I never have, so don't throw my age back at me. Mac people, as you lump us, don't have the issues. We are glad you don't like the products so when the new stuff comes out you won't be in line. Thicken up your skin while you are young or you are headed for many disappointments. Sorry for the rant guys, but I'm tired of the foolish way that people get off topic on this forum.

__________________
Less than 300 days until retirement.
Gretsch Renown

You seem to have some personality issues. You are worried about how people conceive you with a particular brand of MP3 player. You are concerned about someone elses post count. Mac people get under your skin because they justify their purchase of Mac products. Anything else? Or should we stick to the topic.? You have turned the thread into a teenage angst issue and a brand battle when all the original poster wanted was a few opinions on products. I will guarantee you that at 61 years old I could give a crap as to what people think about the brands I buy. And I never have, so don't throw my age back at me. Mac people, as you lump us, don't have the issues. We are glad you don't like the products so when the new stuff comes out you won't be in line. Thicken up your skin while you are young or you are headed for many disappointments. Sorry for the rant guys, but I'm tired of the foolish way that people get off topic on this forum.

So after all that I'm supposed to believe that you don't give a crap about me hating Apple? You're generalizing as much as I am, Mr. "He is a teenager, and therefore is having angst issues." Maybe I have a strong opinion. Maybe I'm a coward behind a computer. Maybe I'm not mad at all.

Wow, sorry about the bad vibes. Didn't expect that from the questions.

Anway, I picked her up a pink Ipod Shuffle. It was a tough decision because with the other ipods you get the joy of future gifts with all the other stuff available, like the clock radio, etc. Bose has even gotten into the aftermarket game for ipods.

I passed on the Nano, and went with the Shuffle because while at Target to pick it up, they also had a digital video camera\ still camera\ mp3 player with a 4 gig SD card on sale that with the 2 equaled the price of the nano. I figured I can upgrade her to the Nano or another model in a few years.

I appreciate the help everyone gave. It made a difference and helped me understand what I was after. If it had been for myself, I wouldn't have much cared one way or the other, but for my grandaughter and in typical grandpa fasion, I wanted to get her the best, And other then the price considerations, not a single person told me the ipod was inferior to any of the other players although good things were said about Zune also.

Ipods are a bit overrated imo and I see no need to buy anything from Apple. I tried one once and it wouldn't work with my Windows 2000 computer even though the box said it would. Apple service was so-so and finally told me the Ipod just wouldn't work with some OSs.

This was over 5 years ago though, and I'm sure they work now. My big gripe is the required use of itunes and the fact that they can't be used as normal file storage devices. If it's 60gb or whatever why can't I throw whatever files I want on there? And why can't I just use windows explorer to drag whatever mp3s I want onto it?

What stinks is that there are not alot of choices for mp3 players over 40gb. I think it's pretty much just the ipod and zune. And the Zune carries many of the same limitations as the ipod I think.

For smaller mp3 players 4-16 gb I don't see any reason to use an ipod. The iriver I have will do more than the small ipods and is easier to use. Too bad there aren't more choices for larger capacity devices.

My big gripe is the required use of itunes and the fact that they can't be used as normal file storage devices. If it's 60gb or whatever why can't I throw whatever files I want on there? And why can't I just use windows explorer to drag whatever mp3s I want onto it?

Pavlos, you can manage the files in Winamp. But I sooo agree with your normal storage device comment! First time I saw the file structure of the iPod in Explorer it freaked me out. I mean, what is that weird goobledygook? The system totally takes control away from the user.

You can load mp3 files to the ipod using Winamp? I had heard (and correct me if I'm wrong) that only Itunes could be used for loading mp3s onto the ipod and that it would actually alter the format.

One question for Ipod users. Can you load mp3s onto the ipod then go to another computer and load the mp3s from the ipod to that computer and have them stay intact as mp3 files?

Yes. I don't have iTunes installed and have only used Winamp for file management. Try a Google search with the words "winamp" and "ipod". I find it fiddly, though, and would much prefer to use Explorer.

I don't know the answer to your second question. Surely there's a way ... ?

One question for Ipod users. Can you load mp3s onto the ipod then go to another computer and load the mp3s from the ipod to that computer and have them stay intact as mp3 files?

That is a good question. I never tried it. I don't see any reason why you couldn't When you connect your iPod to the other computer it will probably sync the pod for you.
I usually transfer songs a few at a time from another computer. I email them to myself and I open them in iTunes. I also have moved songs to my LG Dare phone from iTunes via bluetooth and vice versa with no problems. I emptied an entire zune player memory into iTunes. I think that I plugged the zune into my Mac, booted, and imported the zune memory into iTunes. I can't remember now. I know this, If I did it, It must have been easy!! I'm a computer idiot!
I came home from the recording studio with a DVD. It had a 1.2 gig wav file on it from my bands recording session. iTunes sucked it in and it converted it to mp4 format for me without a hitch! I was shocked!
I load songs from iTunes into GarageBand and I convert them to mp3 format for emailing also.

But can you then load that from the iPod to an unlimited number of desktops?

I think that as long as the version of iTunes that is on the computer that you are syncing to is registered to you. Apple allows you to have five registered versions of their itunes software.
I get around this by loading music from other computers to a memory stick and/or a backup hard drive.
My wife is also an apple user. I recently used her version of Snow Leopard to upgrade my Mac. I also have plugged her pod into my mac and shared tunes.
Here is a how to link. http://www.geeksugar.com/116540 You have to change the settings a bit.